


Spectre Alenko

by queer_serenity (orphan_account)



Series: mShepard [3]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 21:03:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/715059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/queer_serenity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James finds respect for Kaidan on the battlefield, and thinks on his relationship with Shepard.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>~Alenko carried on relentlessly, heedless of cooldown timings, and James could see necks and limbs at unnatural angles, hear the snapping of bones sharply over piercing screams torn from throats~</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spectre Alenko

**Author's Note:**

> I imagine James to not have liked Kaidan at all at first... it must have taken some time with someone like him, especially from the way they met and on Mars. They're total bros now though, imo.

Being pinned down behind crumbling rubble by Cerberus troops wasn’t exactly the way Shepard had planned their alleged simple data retrieval mission, but it was exactly what was happening.  _Fucking Loco._  Nothing was ever simple with Shepard. The air was already smoky, and the bullets flying over James’ head, pinging off his shields (make shift covers weren’t exactly the best thing to hide a big man such as James) and stone was making vision hazier, the dust drifting lazily in front of them.  
  
It had been a long fight. Swapping heat sinks at an increasing pace, flinging frags blindly, hoping to catch a few unfortunate fools. Their bodies were all bruised, gloves and palms burnt from overheating guns, with James feeling the wetness of blood beneath the under arm of his left shoulder; some lucky bastard managed a shot. To both his sides a way off, Shepard and Alenko were unloading their assault rifles, taking hits to their shields and barriers without breaking a sweat whenever they broke from cover, precision hits slowly whittling down their enemies. James let out a maniacal laugh through the comms as his shots set a few Cerberus troops on fire, their white armour turning black as it charred and melted onto their skins horribly.  _Ha!_  He would be lying if he said he didn’t receive some sort of perverse pleasure as their agonised cries filled the air.  
  
Flashes of blue temporarily drew his attention to Alenko, who was manipulating mass effect fields to his advantage, flinging and pulling their opponents, wrecking havoc over distance where bullets were blocked by cover. James could hear the screams as they were ripped apart or yanked into the air for himself and Shepard to take down easily, blood spurting violently from broken bodies. The shimmer of the Major’s biotics flowed through the air, crackling like electricity and sending Cerberus soldiers to their knees, helpless against such onslaught, where their limbs were getting torn off or going rigid. Just like slicing a hot knife through butter, coming undone smoothly.  
  
It was definitely a picture of beauty.  _Damn, Major._  
  
James hadn’t worked with many biotics before, but either way, he was sure Alenko was truly a magnificent sight to behold. His entire body was bathed in wavering blue light, while one hand was curled into a fist and cut through the air as he worked, the strong smell of element zero filling all their lungs. Alenko finally threw himself back into cover when his barrier failed, as more Cerberus reinforcements poured down the walkway.  
  
‘’Hold here!’’  
  
Shepard’s voice, clear and collected as always, filtered through their helmets as he got up and made a run around the enemy group, attempting to flank them. The soldiers turned to follow Shepard however, noticing the Commander’s lack of shields, guns blazing and peppering after his position while James and Alenko unleashed their own as much as possible.  
  
It wasn’t working.  _Of course. It’s Shepard. Goddamn loco_. Shepard was backed into a corner, and the troops moved in on his position, seemingly bent on taking him out. James fired through cover as much as he could, shouting and attempting to draw attention.  
  
That was when Alenko moved.  
  
The Sentinel silently jumped over his cover, tuning into frequencies of shields and taking them out, overloading them mercilessly as little sounds of explosions mixed with choked gasps went off. The orange glow of his omni-tool blinked in and out of smoke as he hopped across debris, interchanging with his biotics flashing through the air again.  
  
 _Fuck._  Swearing loudly and hearing Shepard do the same, they both realised what was happening. Alenko was forcibly drawing fire onto himself, placing himself nearer to ensure he was the bigger threat. His barrier rippled continuously but held, as he was hammered by gunfire when the soldiers turned on him. The Major remained quiet, working his way forward, where the only sounds coming through their shared communications were his controlled, heavy breathing. James ran behind him, keeping up with the lightning pace his superior set, rifle firing conservatively but with accuracy. He would be the first person to acknowledge that he didn’t know jack shit about biotics, but even he could tell that the Major was pushing past the edge.  
  
The shields, armour, and flesh of their opponents were being reaved and striped away at a shocking speed. Helmets caving into skulls, metal twisting and crushing under the sheer force of his power, while globs of blood spurted from their vents and open wounds, painting grey walls brilliant, fascinating shades of red. Alenko carried on relentlessly, heedless of cooldown timings, and James could see necks and limbs at unnatural angles, hear the snapping of bones sharply over piercing screams torn from throats. Mere bullets could never do those. It was surreal, to say the least.  
  
The second human Spectre was one scary motherfucker.  
  
James and Shepard took advantage of the sudden, violent chaos, moving in and finishing off the remaining reinforcements as Alenko crouched down, finally recharging and gripping onto his rifle tightly, still as a statue. James hoped his amp wasn’t sizzling in his brain right now. Just when they thought it was over, a grenade distinctively bounced off the floor, landing somewhere near James.  _Ahh shitt-_  
  
Something,  _someone_ , smacked into him roughly, sending them crashing to the ground just as a loud, but muffled boom went off. The strained yell from Shepard was blocked by some insane ringing in James’ ears, who blurrily focussed to see Alenko lying on top of him, eyes squeezed shut and concentrating on the little sphere he had created around them, bobbing gently like the sea.  
  
‘ _’Dios!_  That... ‘’, James wheezed, ‘’that was..  _fucking awesome_ , Major.’’  
  
The person in question slowly opened his eyes, and James could see through the visor how the faint cobalt flickering within his irises faded away to reveal tired brown ones. He took a moment to gather himself before raising off with shaky hands, peering down at James, assessing him from head to toe rapidly in complete silence.  
  
‘’Everyone in one piece?’’  
  
Shepard was there now, his voice not covering the grin he was probably wearing on his face as he passed critical eyes over the both of them. Helping them to their feet, the Commander moved away to contact Steve for a pick up. Alenko had noticed the blood leaking from James’ shoulder and began fussing over him, applying his leftover medi-gel to the under arm, still not speaking.  
  
‘’I’m alright, Major.’’  
  
Instead, James was shushed by the Major, and he couldn’t complain - the sharp pain from his shoulder was reduced to a dull ache instead. He looked over at Alenko, who was checking over for more wounds like the good field medic he was, cutting a rather imposing figure with his damaged and blood smeared armour.  
  
‘’You know, you’re alright, Major.’’  
  
Alenko finally looked at him, as Shepard rejoined the group.  
  
‘’Yeah?’’  
  
‘’Yeah... thought you were a stuck up asshole at first.’’  
  
‘’... Wow, thanks.’’  
  
Shepard’s sniggering brought a glare from Alenko. It was true though, he had always assumed the Major and him wouldn’t click, but he was wrong. James turned to address his Commander.  
  
‘’Your boy always this stubborn, Loco?’’  
  
The pissed huff (‘’I’m not his boy!’’) from Alenko was drowned out by Shepard’s laughter, his eyes crinkling at the corners behind his visor.  
  
‘’Oh, you have _no_  idea, James.’’  
  
More laughter escaped them (excluding Alenko of course), as the post mission euphoria set in. James busied himself with checking his weapons, seeing Shepard walk over to Alenko, who had trudged away from them to a corner. The big marine winced internally, knowing that the extensive use of biotics was probably taking a toll on the Sentinel now, faulty implants acting up again.  
  
‘’Kaidan?’’  
  
James could barely hear Shepard over the comms, the soft tone a definite contrast to his ringing barking on the field. A hand reached over to touch the shoulder of the person he was addressing, and Alenko shifted on his feet, voice just as soft.  
  
‘’I’m okay, John.’’ He sounded exhausted, hands vaguely gesturing to his head beneath his helmet. ‘’Just, you know... the usual.’’  
  
Shepard nodded, understanding. He glanced at the blood on Alenko’s armour again, as if needing to reassure himself that the blood was from the enemies he blew through effortlessly, that it wasn’t  _his_ , that Alenko wasn’t bleeding from some place. The biotic for his part, also seemed to pick up on Shepard’s stance, a hand nudging the Commander wordlessly.  _Lovingly._  
  
For the longest time, James thought that the Major was the one struggling to keep up with Shepard. The Commander regularly pulled some crazy ass shit, and it was easy for anyone looking at them to assume that Alenko had to keep running, running to Shepard, who was constantly throwing himself place to place. Running to prevent himself from drowning, from being left behind, while Shepard embodied gliding forward with a passion.  
  
But James had gotten it all wrong.  
  
Alenko wasn’t doing the constant chasing here. Alenko was the  _immovable rock_  in their relationship. The stable presence which Shepard orbited, straining in a direction, but always falling back. James had realised that Shepard, though fucking crazy, willingly gets pulled back into the gravity that the Sentinel exudes. Shepard may complain, but James was sure Alenko would stomp and stick his feet in, refusing to budge, the pure stubbornness keeping both of them in check. There was a line which Shepard seemed unable to cross, and James knew it was the steady calm that was Alenko grounding him, acting as an anchor to ensure Shepard wouldn’t fly too far off course.  
  
It suited them.  
  
 _Yeah, Major’s sure alright_ , James thought again. The Kodiak soon came into view, and he made a mental note to ask Alenko, no,  _Kaidan_ , out for a game of cards.  
  
 _End._

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I know the Citadel DLC was fanservice-y as fuck, but I don't care okay. We got Kaidan/biotics and Kaidan/sass and I am happy. Thanks for a (mostly) great ride, BioWare!


End file.
